Our Blog

In October 2018 we ran a 3 week Maximum Wildlife tour around Australia for Charlie & Lynda from USA. They very kindly put together an album of photos of the tour and granted us permission to share – here are the highlights of the 7 day East Gippsland (Wildlife...

Jin Jin Origin of name: Jin Jin was an Aboriginal man in the Melbourne area at the time of European invasion and settlement. He was imprisoned with Tullamarine, but they escaped by setting fire to the jail. Known since: He was first seen in early 2013. How often seen:...

When you spend time watching nature you see something new and riveting every day. The more you watch, the more you see. Our 4 day Wildlife Journey tour is designed to spend time in nature, and as a result we see fascinating wild animal behaviour and learn about our...

As part of our social enterprise mission, wildlife tour operator Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours monitors wild koalas in the You Yangs Regional Park, Victoria Australia. This is a summary of the 2017 year of Wild Koala Research. All koala research is conducted...

CoCo Origin of name: As her mother’s name is YuYu, and CoCo is a baby name – it seemed to fit. Known since: She was first seen on 20 October 2015. She was probably 7 or 8 months old by that time. That makes her 3 years old now. How often seen: CoCo is a shy one. She...

In south-eastern Australia (Melbourne, Sydney) travellers are most likely to see two different types of wallaby: Swamp Wallaby & Red-necked Wallaby. Here’s a summary of the differences between these two similar macropod* species, based on appearance, style...

Australia has many faces. There is the red desert Australia, the beach Australia, the Great Barrier Reef Australia, the tropical billabong Australia and the shearing-shed Australia. If you look more closely you will find the mallee Australia, the snow-topped mountain...

Bunyip Origin of name: We asked some travellers for suggestions for a really Australian name. Boomerang and Bunyip were the two favourites. Bunyip is a Wemba-wemba Aboriginal word for a scary monster that lives in billabongs and waterholes. We decided that as...

As guides on wildlife tours, we get asked for a lot of information about Eastern Grey Kangaroos. Here is a summary of the main, and most interesting, kangaroo facts. EASTERN GREY KANGAROO SIZE The largest kangaroo and world’s largest marsupial is the Red Kangaroo,...

The purpose of the event and this article is to get trees planted for koalas on private land - urgently. This event and the data presented are specific to the You Yangs / Little River / Western Plains region of Victoria, but much of it will be relevant to other...

Origin of name: I know, Pickle!!!??? Well it goes like this…. Our wonderful Wildlife Guide Brett and his partner Jess wanted to call a koala joey Pickle in 2017. I (Janine) resisted as I thought it was a bit of a tough name to grow up with. Then one day in 2018 our...

At the end of a long hot Australian summer day, everyone needs a drink. Even wallabies. Swamp Wallabies – Wallabia bicolor - live in the You Yangs and at Serendip, near Melbourne, but hide out in the shade during hot days. By late afternoon they are becoming active,...

Ruth Origin of name: One of our lovely guests, Leslie, was so keen to meet our koalas that she booked a Koalas & Kangaroos IN THE WILD tour, made a donation to Koala Clancy Foundation and respectfully asked if she could also join our Koala Conservation Day for Locals...

Mara Origin of name: Mara is named to honour the Gunditj-mara Aboriginal People of western Victoria. Learn about the Gunditj-mara People and take a tour with Budj Bim Tours Known since: Mara was first seen on 19 January 2016. She appeared to be a young mature female...

Have you ever seen kangaroos mating? You might feel like a weirdo searching “kangaroos mating” online, but admit it – if it was happening in front of you, you would be fascinated. I am, and I see it all the time. One of the greatest things about Eastern Grey Kangaroos...

What are the key ingredients of a great wildlife tour for families? After 26 years guiding wildlife tours for people of all ages, including multi-generational families, we believe travellers with kids need the following: A tour that sees plenty of active wild animals...

When you think of iconic wildlife of northern Australia, insects might be low down on your list. But when a huge traffic-light red dragonfly lands beside you on a water lily in a billabong, you may reconsider. Australia is quite rich in odonates (dragonflies &...

Mabo Origin of name: Mabo is named to honour Eddie Mabo – the Torres Strait Islander man who was responsible for changing the Native Title laws in Australia. Read about this amazing man here. How long have we known him? Mabo the koala was first seen in early January...